cadet blogs

I cannot believe 3/c year is actually over. After finals week every member in the Class of 2015 participated in 100th Week, where the Cape May Company Commanders came to train our class to become leaders. It was a transformation week similar to the challenges and evolutions we faced during Swab Summer. At the end of 100th Week we completed obstacle and leadership courses with our fellow shipmates. The CC’s made us pick up and put down a pen on the floor (the deck) over and over again. We changed a countless number of times from gym gear to ODUs, and we read the infamous passage about “Discipline” from our Blue Jackets, which all of us remember word-by-word from Swab Summer. Upon completing 100th Week we finally got to put on our 2/c shoulder boards.

The following week, a group of us went to Mobile, Alabama to participate in the Cadet Aviation Training Program (CATP). CATP will forever remain the highlight of my 2/c summer. I absolutely loved talking to the pilots in Mobile. I was granted the opportunity to actually fly a Falcon with one of my other classmates. On the Thursday of CATP our group drove to Pensacola and toured the assets on base. We were hoisted in a basket from the water into a helicopter, given a lollipop at the top, and hoisted back down into the Bay. I get chills thinking about how much fun I had at CATP and learning about aviation.

Next, we had range week. We learned how to disassemble and reassemble a pistol. At first I had a hard time qualifying on the range, but after I realized what I needed to do to hit the center of the target, I successfully qualified.